July 24, 2007

IRVING, Texas (C-USA/SMU) - The Conference USA Preseason Coaches Poll and Awards were announced today, and SMU wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders and punter Thomas Morstead were tabbed first-team All-Conference performers.

Sanders is coming off a 2006 season in which he was named an honorable mention Freshman All-American at both wide receiver and kick returner by The Sporting News and was an All-Freshman Conference USA pick at both spots as well. He was the co-winner of the James Bradley "New Mustang" award along with Bryan McCann and Justin Willis after catching TD passes in six straight games to break Jerry LeVias' 29-year-old SMU record for consecutive games with a TD catch.

Morstead led Conference USA and ranked 15th in the nation in punting average in 2006 and was a third-team All-Conference USA selection. The junior-to-be averaged 43.8 yards per punt, the best season average for a Mustang punter since Craig James averaged 44.9 ypp in 1982.

As a team, SMU was chosen to finish third in the West behind Houston and Tulsa, respectively. The Mustangs are led by sophomore quarterback Justin Willis, who re-wrote the SMU annals last season and earned C-USA Freshman of the Year honors. He broke the 38-year old school record for touchdown passes with 26 in 2006 and his quarterback rating for the season was 158.4, good for 10th-best in the nation.

A full listing of the C-USA poll and preseason honors is available here.

SMU opens its season on Monday, Sept. 3, with an ESPN-televised game at Ford Stadium against Texas Tech.